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A Biblical Definition of Sin

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I was taught as a child that sin was doing something wrong. Of course, I soon learned that not everyone saw the same actions as wrong. It became increasingly difficult to have a consistent definition of what constituted as a “sin.” Yet, it is vital to know what sin is. Would we be lost based on some vague, ever-changing concept of wrongdoing? Amid so many conflicting ideas, can we know the biblical definition of sin?

One summer I happened to hear a preacher speaking on this topic. His purely biblical presentation challenged my understanding. I decided to be like the Berean’s (Acts 17:11) and check out the scriptural accuracy of his teaching. This is what I found:

BIBLICAL DEFINITION OF SIN

Any Biblical definition of sin will, at some point, find its way to 1 John 3:4—“sin is lawlessness.” Other translations may say it is the “transgression of the law.” Typically, this definition is interpreted as bad behavior and implies that keeping the law is good behavior. However, is this how Jesus viewed the law?

The most precise summation of the law Jesus gave is found in Matthew 22:37–40. Jesus was responding to the question “what is the greatest commandment?” In His answer, He summarized the law as love: loving God and loving our neighbor. In fact, He said that all of the Law and the Prophets hang on this principle of love. This reveals a relational definition rather than behavioral.

BEHAVIORAL OR RELATIONAL?

Notice, also, what Paul said about the law: “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10). Again, this points to relationship. Of course, the kind of love Jesus and Paul are talking about is not a love that is natural to us. This love is one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our life (Galatians 5:22). Even more to the point, it is the result of being in a relationship with God: “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8). God is love and you will love if you know Him—a relationship. 

If love fulfills the law, and we can only have this love through a relationship with God, then it makes sense that the lack of this relationship will result in breaking God’s law. Which brings us back to the definition of sin. It is, at its most basic definition, life outside a relationship with God. Don’t get me wrong, our actions can be good or bad, but these passages focus more on our relationship with God than on our actions. In fact, we find this relationship theme in other passages as well. Here are a few examples:

A FOCUS ON RELATIONSHIP

1 John 3:6—“No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.” The word “abide” implies a relationship; it is living in Christ. So, whoever lives in Christ is not in sin. It also suggests that sin is not living in Christ.

1 John 3:9—This passage says that those “born of God”—or His children—do not sin. Being a child of someone, or born to them, represents a relationship. Sin is presented as being in or out of a relationship with God rather than simply “good” actions.

Romans 6:23—“The wages of sin is death.” Acts 17:28 says that God is the giver of life. If we choose to separate ourselves from Him we give up this life. Thus, it makes sense that any work (wages) done outside of a relationship with God (sin) results in death—they cannot save us. Death, then, is not necessarily a punishment for bad actions, but a result of life outside of God.

Jesus brings this idea home in John 17:3 when He said, “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” The Greek word translated “know” has the concept of experiential knowing rather than informational knowing. In other words, Jesus says eternal life is experiencing God—it is relational. If eternal life is relational, how could sin be behavioral? The opposite of Jesus’ statement would be that eternal death (the result) is not knowing God or Himself (sin).

THE RELATIONSHIP MATTERS

There are more passages we could look at, but I want to offer one more: “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:11–13)

John makes it entirely clear: eternal life is a free gift from God in Jesus Christ. If you “have” him (literally “hold onto”—again, relational) you have life; if you do not “have” Him you do not have life. Therefore, according to John, sin would be not having, or not holding onto, Jesus. This is why he says you can know you have eternal life—you can know if you have a personal relationship with God.

The Bible speaks clearly about God’s desire to have a relationship with us. Our study into the definition of sin has been no different. Scriptures reveal that it is not simply a bad action that will keep us out of heaven, but rather, it is the lack of a relationship with God that will. This is not to say that it does not matter what you do—we should desire to do what God asks (John 14:15). Instead, the Bible reveals that the most important thing toward salvation is our relationship with God. Amazingly, everything else we need for salvation comes as a result of this relationship.

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A Different Gospel: A Grace That Removes Choice

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In a previous post, I wrote about the danger of believing or holding onto a different gospel. While there may be many ways to distort the gospel, I believe that every distortion stems from two main ideas. The first of these ideas will be my focus in this post.

One of the main distortions of the gospel is based on the idea that God’s love and grace is so great that everyone, regardless of their relationship with Him, will be saved. It is probably best known through the concept of Universalism. The main argument of this “gospel” is that a good and loving God would never condemn people to eternal torment in hell. Therefore, it is concluded that, in the end, everyone will receive eternal life in Heaven. Some suggest that this reconciliation will only occur after a certain cleansing period in hell. Others say that people will have the opportunity to choose God after death (of course, this leaves the choice to the person who could still turn it down). 

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Biblical Support?

One could easily see how this would be attractive. I would imagine that most God-fearing Christians would love for everyone to be ultimately reconciled to God. Even early Christian leaders are quoted as embracing this concept, hoping for a great reconciliation of God with His creation.

It doesn’t hurt that there are also some texts that appear to support this view. 1 Corinthians 15:22 says, “As all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.” Even stronger is the passage in Lamentations 3:31–33 which states, “For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.” 1 Timothy 4:10 and Colossians 1:17–20 are also texts used in support. Nevertheless, while these passages (and a few others like them) may seem to imply a universal reconciliation, they neglect many other passages that talk about God’s judgment and justice.

Its Danger and True Source

The advocates of this concept claim that the idea of a punishment of sin only reveals the inability of God to save. Thus, in their eyes, if God is truly able to save everyone, He has to save everyone. Herein lies the danger of this “gospel.” While it embraces God’s amazing mercy and grace, it ignores His (also amazing) justice and holiness. In addition, with this view, God’s statements about the severity and ultimate consequence of sin can only be viewed as empty threats—not anything that will actually be carried out. Yet, if sin is not bad enough for actual consequences, why is God’s grace necessary? This attempt to force God’s grace on everyone (especially those who do not desire it), undermines the principle of His grace for everyone. With this idea, sin is trivialized and God’s grace is diluted.

Of course, this isn’t a new concept. We can see the beginning of this distortion back in the Garden of Eden. As the serpent successfully sowed seeds of doubt into Eve’s mind, he offered one of the greatest lies still believed by mankind: “you shall not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). Much like what this “gospel” suggests, Satan claimed that God was overly exaggerating the results of sin. Did God make too much of sin to Adam and Eve? Has He changed His minds since?

The Truth About Sin

No, God hasn’t changed His mind. His proclamation against sin remains constant throughout scriptures. Not once does God lessen the severity or result of sin. In fact, scripture is consistent that the consequence of sin is real. We are told in Ezekiel 18:19, 20 that the soul who sins will die. Not eventually be reconciled. Die. Because “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Not just death on this earth either: “Those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus, they will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might” (2 Thessalonians 1:8, 9). Jesus reiterates this idea in the illustration of the wide and narrow gates (see Matthew 7:13, 14 and Luke 13:23, 24), mentioning two results in the end: life and destruction. He also said, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them” (John 3:36). This is the Biblical truth: death is the result of sin.

The Truth About Choice

Since sin is a broken relationship with God, then those who choose to remain in a broken relationship will not receive eternal life. Of course, this is why this distortion is not the gospel: If you don’t love God, why would you want to spend eternity with Him anyway? The true Gospel does not diminish the problem of sin, but reveals how God’s grace allows us to be rescued from sin and be brought back into a personal relationship with Him.  

You see, this is why grace is necessary. Grace is undeserved favor. God is giving us something we do not deserve: another chance. But the final choice is on us. We have the freedom to say no. A powerful warning about this choice is found in Ezekiel 33:11–16. I encourage you to read it. It shows the truth about God’s grace and our relationship with Him. Yes, sin has separated us from God, but He is doing everything He can to woo us back to Him. The Good News is that grace gives us the opportunity to say yes.

Your Relationship With God

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This week, a young lady asked me a familiar question, one that I had also asked before: How can I know if I have a relationship with God? Christians talk a lot about the importance of a relationship with God. As we should—it is the source of eternal life: “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Still, with all of our emphasis on a relationship, we are often left wondering if we have one.

One reason why we struggle is that we don’t know what we’re supposed to be looking for. What does a relationship with God look like? Interestingly, the Bible doesn’t offer a one-size-fits-all, formulaic type of relationship that all must have with God. In fact, the Bible uses several types of human relationships to describe our relationship with God. 

Different Types of Relationships

One of the more common relationship comparisons is between husband and wife, or bride and groom (Isaiah 62:5, 2 Corinthians 11:2, Revelation 19:6–9). Another is the father/ parent and child relationship (1 John 3:1, Hebrews 12:7, Luke 13:34). The Bible also uses friendship (Isaiah 41:8, James 2:23), and brothers (Matthew 28:10, John 20:17). Other, less common relationships (at least we do not always view these as relationships) is the healer and patient relationship (Exodus 15:26, Psalm 30:2, 103:3, Jeremiah 33:6) and our relationship with God as our Savior (2 Samuel 22:3, Jeremiah 17:14; Luke 2:11, 2 Timothy 1:10).

Why use so many different types of relationships rather than just one to reveal what God truly wants? Doesn’t God want, and expect, the same relationship with everyone? From my studies, this is my conclusion: More than anything, God wants a relationship with each one of us, but He does not expect the same relationship from us.

Not All The Same

Let me explain. I have met many Christians who struggle with viewing God as their Father. Why? For some, their father was abusive; for others, their father was absent. Either way, they did not have a good relationship with their earthly father so they didn’t know how to have such a relationship with God. Sadly, some gave up because they thought that was the only relationship they could have with God.

A lady recently expressed her desire to have a passionate loving relationship with God. She knew she loved God but didn’t know why she couldn’t have the passion she had witnessed in other people’s lives. I asked her if she had ever had a relationship like that with another person. She said she had, but it had burned her. Her previous bad experience was keeping her from having a deeper, more passionate relationship with God.

What Can You Give?

You see, the Bible uses these different types of relationships to describe what God wants with us because He knows that we are not all capable of having the same relationship with Him. Each of us has experienced good and bad relationships. Some of those bad experiences have damaged us to the point where it can be difficult, if not impossible, to trust enough to try such a relationship again. Whatever you can give, though, is what God wants.

Maybe you’ve never had a good friend, but you have a wonderful relationship with your brother—then God wants to be your Brother. Maybe your marriage was miserable and full of conflict and pain, but you have a wonderful relationship with your parents—then God wants to be your Parent. Whatever positive relationship you cherish the most here, God wants to have with you. 

Start Somewhere

Consider the thief on the cross (see Luke 23:40–43). What kind of relationship could he have had with Jesus? Yet, he was promised paradise. At best he was an acquaintance. However, at some point, while hanging on the cross next to Jesus, he was convinced Jesus was someone greater than himself. His request to Jesus to “remember me when you come into your kingdom,” revealed the beginning of a servant–master relationship. It may not have been much, but it was a start.

What about you? Do you have a desire to have a relationship with God? That’s a start! Then just do the things you do to build any other relationship: talk to Him, listen to Him, spend time with Him, etc. If you are doing these things with God, then you have a relationship with Him.

Could we all end up with the same type of relationship with God? Will we all, someday, be able to experience Him as Father, or Husband, or Friend? It’s possible—when we are in heaven and God is able to fully show us what a good father, husband, and friend can be. Until then, we may be limited by our bad relationships and can only give God our brokenness. The good news is that God will accept whatever you can give. It may not look like everyone else’s relationship, but it doesn’t have to—it’s yours.

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Matthew 18:15–17: Church Discipline or Relationship Repair?

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We’ve all experienced being hurt by someone, or hurting someone, as a result of careless words or thoughtless actions. It may be from a stranger, or a family member, or a friend. Maybe even another Christian. But what are we to do when we are truly hurt by another person? In Matthew 18:15–17, Jesus gave us counsel on how to deal with such situations. I have often heard this text used as an example of church discipline. However, I’d like to suggest a different purpose for this counsel: Relationship repair.

This is how it begins: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother” (verse 15).

First things first: this is what we do if someone “sins” against us. It is not a generic, “if someone sins” statement. Rather, these are the steps we take when someone has done something to injure our relationship with them. Jesus also reveals the purpose of His counsel right away: to gain our brother back, not to give us opportunity to get restitution or revenge (or discipline).

Interestingly, the first step is for us to go, by ourselves, to the person. This step is often ignored. Typically, we want to wait for the other person to apologize—“He hurt me, he can come to me”—but Jesus tells us to take the first step. We also want to avoid the person entirely if possible. How many times have you complained about how another person has hurt you when you haven’t talked to that individual privately first? (I know I’m guilty of this). Yet, Jesus says that you should first go and talk to them privately about how they hurt you.

But what if talking to them by yourself does not work? “But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses” (verse 16). These witnesses “establish the charges,” so they should be people who have also witnessed the person hurting you. Yet, it is not to gang up on the person—not a lynch mob—but as in the first step, they are there to help you restore the relationship.

“If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church” (verse 17a). Not much is said here, but continuing on the idea of the first two, it would appear that this step calls upon the whole church to help in restoring the relationship.

“and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector” (verse 17b). To many, this means shun them—treat them as outcasts. This statement is why many view the passage as church discipline guidelines. That doesn’t fit the context though. If this was all about gaining our brother, why would Jesus now say we can hate them? Consider this: how did Jesus treat the Gentiles and tax collectors? He ate with them, ministered to them, and befriended them. No, He’s not giving us permission to hate. He’s telling us that if we are unsuccessful in restoring the relationship, we should start over. We are to treat them as someone who needs to know the message of the Gospel.

When dealing with His own personal relationships, Jesus also lived by this counsel. A great example is Jesus talking to Peter after the resurrection (and after Peter’s denial). Jesus went to Peter, not to confront his denials or to get even, but He came to restore their relationship. Three times Peter denied Jesus, three times he was able to confirm his love for Jesus (John 21:15–17). The end result: a repaired relationship.

Matthew 18:15–17 reveals steps towards reconciliation not discipline. Because reconciliation is at the heart of being a disciple (John 13:35). It is our message and ministry: “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their sins against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18, 19, emphasis mine).

Therefore, if one of my relationships has been broken because I have hurt someone, or someone has hurt me (whether it is some unfortunate misunderstanding or purposeful), I have been given the ministry (and guidance) to do all within my power to mend that relationship.

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another, and if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Colossians 3:12, 13).

Is Knowing God a Priority?

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I found this story some time ago (I do not remember where) and recently re-read it. It is thought provoking, so I thought I’d share it:

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rock right to the top, rocks about two inches in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them in to the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The students laughed. He asked his students again if the jar was full. They again agreed that it was.

So the professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up every-thing else.

“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things—your family, your partner, your health, or your children—anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed.

“The pebbles represent the other things in life that matter, but on a smaller scale—things like your job, house, or car.

“The sand is everything else, the small stuff.

“If you put the sand or the pebbles into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, material things, you will never have room for the things that are truly most important.”

As we go through our lives we encounter a few “rocks,” plenty of “pebbles,” and tons of “sand.” Walking on this journey to get to know God, I find that it has become a new thing to place in my jar of priorities. Of course, for those wanting to know God, a question must first be answered: is knowing God a high priority in your life? Is it a “rock” or just some more “sand”? If it is important enough to be a “rock” in your life, then getting to know Him must be placed as first priority in your life.

I hear many say they wish they could spend more time with devotionals or other ways of spending time with God. Yet, they feel they cannot because their lives are too rushed to fit that in. I struggle with that feeling too. However, like the story, we have to realize that if we fill our lives with the smaller stuff of life first, we will never have time for God. If we never have time for God, we will never get to know Him. But isn’t that the point of being a Christian: building a relationship with our Savior? Therefore, we must re-evaluate what is really important.

If we are to deepen our relationship with Him—or get to know Him in the first place—time with Him must take priority. It has to be a whole-hearted effort, not a left-over attempt. So we must be diligent to place God first in our lives. Give Him the best, and the first, of our lives.

God says, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord…” (Jeremiah 29:13).

Christian Works: Legalism or Love?

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There is an interesting struggle Christians often find themselves in—myself included. This struggle is the purpose of our “works” as Christians. On the one hand, the Bible seems to stress that they are important, yet on the other hand, the Bible also seems to suggest that they are worthless towards eternal life. Which is it? Shouldn’t it be one or the other? Or could it be both?

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There are typically three camps of thought on this concept. One camp declares that our good works are vital for salvation. They are labelled as “legalistic.” Their line of thinking suggests that you do good things in order to earn your place in paradise. While there may be text that appear to support this idea, the Bible is extremely clear that we are saved by grace not by works (see Romans 11:6 and Ephesians 2:8, 9).

The second camp proclaims that because of grace, it does not matter what we do—ultimately everyone will be saved. This group is sometimes labelled “universalists.” They hold that grace removes the necessity of good works, and since we will all be saved regardless of what we do, we may as live it up. Again, a problem occurs as scripture says that we should not use God’s grace as “a license for immorality” (Jude 4).

The third camp teaches that although our works cannot save us, they do matter. They claim it is obedience out of love. I will admit, that as I have studied God’s word, I find myself in this camp. Let me explain why.

I have learned that not all things are used in the way they were originally created for. I’ve learned this in life: I once made a “He-man” sword out of wood as a kid and it was later used as a paddle for my discipline! Something that was purposely designed and created solely for my enjoyment brought me pain instead. I have also learned that we were created for a special purpose. Paul says, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). You and I are God’s workmanship! Isn’t that wonderful? We were created in Christ to do good works. Again, works do not save us, yet we were created to do good works. This seems contradictory, but it isn’t.

First, we must ask, what are these “good works,” and how can we find out which works we were created to do? Some will answer, “Read the Bible.” Yes, the Bible reveals a lot of good works, but which of the many good works am I supposed to do? All of them? Am I to build an ark too? Or sacrifice my first-born son? Of course not!

Paul says that God “prepares in advance” the works He wants us to do. Therefore, it cannot be just any good works God wants, but good works He designed just for us. Much like a screwdriver was designed for screws, we were created for certain good works. Only the One who created us would know which specific works we were intended to do. In fact, if we examined it closer, we would notice that those Biblical Patriarchal “works” came from following God’s specific requests. According to Hebrews 11, each of these great works was done in faith.

Faith is fascinating. Without it, “it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). And Habakkuk 2:4says, “The Righteous will live by faith.” There is no question that faith is essential to our spiritual life. Unfortunately, many today simply define faith as a religious group or a set of beliefs, or as belonging to a specific church or religion. However, Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as, “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Faith is a relationship term. It is based on an experience of past trustworthiness that creates confidence in someone in order to depend on him or her for something you hope for or cannot see. Faith, at its core, is dependence, and it is out of this dependence that our works are to be born.

According to the Bible, faith and works go together. As James puts it, “Faith without works is dead” (James 4:17). He used the example of Abraham offering up Isaac and said that “his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did” (James 4:22). Abraham had confidence in God’s promises. His dependence on God had grown so much that if God said something needed to be done, he did it—even sacrificing his promised son.

Notice, also, this faith-relationship concept in Jesus’ teachings: “All who have faith in me will do the works I have been doing and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). Thus, it will be those who have built their confidence in, and placed their dependence on, Jesus that will do the works He had been doing. He also says, very plainly, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Therefore, according to Jesus, any good works done by us will come from our relationship with Him.

Jesus further explains this with the illustration of the vine and its branches; He is the vine and we are branches (John 15:1–5, 8). It is interesting that branches can be grafted into a different vine and actually grow roots into the new vine and become a part of the vine. Evidence of a successful grafting would be seen when the branch begins to bear fruit. The branch is completely dependent on the vine for nutrients and health. In His illustration, Jesus points out that like the vine branch, we too must become fully dependent on Him for spiritual health. And the evidence of the successful grafting of our lives into Christ—a fully dependent relationship—will be seen in our “fruit.”

For this to occur, Jesus says that we must remain, or abide, in Him. In fact, separated from Him, we can do nothing. This is a powerful image of the type of relationship Jesus desires. Just as bearing fruit is the natural result of being connected to the vine, good works that come from us are the result of being constantly connected to Christ. (See also Galatians 2:20—Paul mentions this relationship when he credits his life to Christ living in him.)

Does this mean that good works will not exist outside of this relationship? No. But just because the works done are considered “good” doesn’t mean they are what God requested. Jesus tells a compelling parable explaining this: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evil-doers!’” (Matthew 7:21–23).

Jesus said He didn’t know them; He had no experience with them. They weren’t in this dependent relationship and, in spite of their “good works,” were called evildoers. Christ called their works, which we would normally consider good, evil! Why? According to Jesus, they were not “the will of the Father.” This is entirely about depending on God—listening to Him and following His commands. Works done outside this relationship of faith have no special salvational value; works done inside this relationship are about loving obedience.

Let me illustrate. Say you get really lost in the the Grand Canyon and a ranger comes to save you. All you have to do is follow everything he asks you to do. I have two questions: first, when are you rescued—when you reach the top or when you decide to follow the ranger? You are rescued when you decide to follow the ranger. Second: by following the ranger, are you rescuing yourself? No, of course not. The ranger is in charge of the rescue. Your only “job” is to follow him. Your “works” are listening to and obeying your rescuer.

In other words, I cannot do good things to be saved, nor do them to keep saved. The reality is that God, in Whom I depend, is guiding me out of the Grand Canyon of Sin and I want to follow Him. Likewise, I will stay away from certain things, not because I am trying to rescue myself or am making an effort to look holier to others, but because the One who is actively saving me says I should stay away from those things. If I am dependent on Him I will do as He says.

The point is this: Works were never meant to save us, but this does not mean they should be thrown out. Instead, our works will reveal where our faith is placed. We cannot please God without faith and we demonstrate our faith in Him through obedience to His leading. The only way we are able to show that we are truly dependent on God is by following Him. He created us, He’s saving us, and He knows what is best for us. We need Him. When we accept this we become totally dependent on God, and we will do whatever He tells us. This is not legalism, it is loving obedience.